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MG TD TF 1500 - felt packing strip

Any recommendation for more modern substitute for felt packing strip between the rear quarter panel and the body frame. I feel that felt will absorbs and retain water and dirt.

Boris

B Gruzman

Boris, I used rubber that is used on roofs. Bud
Bud Krueger

Thank you Bud, could you please be more specific maybe brand name if you know, or where I could buy one.

Thank you
Boris
B Gruzman

I use old inner tubes or epdm roof rubber (the black rubber)
-David
D. Sander

Boris, I think David probably identified it. Find someone who does roofing and just ask them for some scrap rubber roofing pieces. It really takes a very small amount to do a T-car. Bud
Bud Krueger

It's called Bituthene. Bituthene is a trade name and bitchathane is what roofers call it:-)

Actually there are a quite a few companies supplying it under different trade names. It's a rubber or rubberized asphalt membrane that's used to prevent leaks from ice dams or on low pitched roofs. I was going to use it but the remnant I had was a little crushed so I just went with a couple of layers of black felt paper - tar paper. The rubber membrane would probably be better as you can stick it to the iron and trim it with a razor.
JE Carroll

Why not black waterproof silicon?

Boris

B Gruzman

Try,
http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/120/3468/=qjeg74

Many sizes available.
Mort
Mort 50 TD (Mobius)

Use a closed cell foam adhesive tape, much like mort has recommended. Make sure it is closed cell ( it doesn't absorb water. Usually found as truck cap foam tape, at any auto supply or hardware. 1/4" thick usually does the trick.
C.R. Tyrell

IMHO, I fear that 1/4" would be too thick. It would be against the sides of both quarter panels and would be a cause of distortion. Bud
Bud Krueger

My worry is that waterproof treatments might trap moisture and cause rust to develop. If the felt worked for 60 years why not replace it with that?

You can get felt from Jo Anns Fabrics locally as well as on line.
Chris Couper

boris, i second what chris says..the brits were making carriages for a thousand years before they pumped out the TD. felt breathes..i am trying to make my starting position when i look at these things "perhaps they chose this material", rather than "this was all they had and it was cheap". sometimes the final answer i come up with is "this was a mass production item and they were trying the best they could to make a quick buck, errr..i mean pound", but sometimes i see the possibility of another reason they chose the material they did..as in "this works".

...but what do i know? i was not making production material decisions in '50. regards, tom
tm peterson

The closed cell foam adhesive tape is so soft it crushes down to almost nothing so 1/4" will not show any deformation. We have used 1/8" on all T types for years with no corrosion evident on a close inspection of a TF we restored over 20 years ago.

The felt holds water and rust pits (severely in some cases) the angle iron and the steel inner sections on most vehicles we have taken apart.

However on the ex USA TD we are restoring currently the felt had not got wet and no corrosion has taken place. The TF 1500 ex USA car was similar so it would seem the dry climate vehicles are OK with felt but the damp climate cars that the felt can hold moisture do rust.
Rod Brayshaw

This thread was discussed between 03/02/2014 and 04/02/2014

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